World's Eeriest Abandoned Places

San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico

Why It’s Eerie: In 1943, a volcano in the remote mountain state of Michoacán began spewing lava, eventually burying the villages of San Juan Parangaricutiro and Paricutín under a coal-black layer of chunky lava. The crucifix-topped bell tower of the San Juan Parangaricutiro Church protrudes from the lava, while the vacated church’s altar, at the other end of the structure, appears entirely intact.

How to Experience It: Hire a local guide in the strange and sleepy Purépucha mountain village of Angahuan, 30 minutes away, and see the site by burro.